Gove resorts to calling the SNP names rather than engaging in debate

Michael Gove calls the SNP names rather than debate them

SIXTEEN days until Brexit. One, six. Three hundred and eighty-four hours – though we’ll be asleep for about 128 of those.

Yet, even with such little time to sort out the biggest constitutional debate in a generation, the person leading said debate has resorted to name-calling and refusing to take interventions out of a personal grievance.

Standing in for a Prime Minister who has lost her voice – quite literally, although we’re sure there’s a metaphor in there somewhere – Michael Gove took to the dispatch box to lead the debate ahead of tonight’s vote on ruling out a no-deal Brexit.

Kicking off the debate, the Environment Secretary commended May for, even though she had lost her voice, remaining focused on doing what’s in the national interest, adding that she “has shown fortitude, tenacity, thoughtfulness, diligence – and above all an unselfish and unstinting patriotism”.

It’s a shame, though, that she hasn’t shown any dignity and resigned like any other Prime Minister would after one humiliating defeat on what is pretty much her only policy, never mind two humiliating defeats.

Gove himself should be commended for not only managing to display the same sort of brass neck as his leader, but for matching her contempt for Scotland’s interests as well.

At one point he said he'd accept interventions from both sides of the house then added that he wouldn’t be taking any from the “partitionist part-timers” on the SNP benches. A slur that he later repeated.

Gove did make way for Stewart McDonald at one point, but it took for the SNP MPs to raise points of order to get a word in after that.

On one of those occasions, Joanna Cherry pointed out that he was conflating the ruling of the European Court of Justice on Article 50 and the preliminary opinion of the Advocate General.

Did he answer the point? No, he instead made a horrendous joke about the SNP being the “hokey cokey party – in, out, shake it all about” because they want to be in the EU but out of the Common Fisheries Policy. Hilarious…

Gove added that he’s had enough of the “collection of circus acts of the Scottish National Party”.

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